Basket-type carriers are commonly used to carry articles of similar shape. Most articles are of uniform dimension in cross section, that is, they have either a circular or square cross-sectional shape. Beverage bottles or paper cartons which contain beverages are examples of such articles. In such designs the partition straps that divide the basket portion of the carrier into cells for receiving individual articles are approximately as long as the diameter or width of the articles, and they are spaced from the end panels of the carrier, as well as from each other, a similar distance. The resulting cells are thus able to snugly receive the articles.
In some production blanks from which basket-type carriers are formed partition straps defining the cells are foldably connected to the center support panel or handle panel. Examples of such an arrangement are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,237 to Forrer, which discloses a carrier having eight cells, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,400 to Stout, which discloses a carrier having six cells. In both disclosures partition straps extend from the side panels of the carrier to each side of the center handle support panel so as to form cells on each side of the carrier, two between the straps and the end panels and either one or two between the straps themselves, depending on whether the carrier has three or four cells on each side of the center support panel. The straps are foldably connected to the side panels as well as to the center handle support panel. The length of the partition straps, or the depth of the cells, is equal to one-half the width of the end panels, and the length of the center support panel is equal to the length of the side panels. The center support panel sections from which the center support panel is formed occupy the central area of the blank and are contiguous.
Another style of basket-type carrier employs a keel panel to which transverse partitions are connected to form the individual cells of the carrier. This design, which is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,950, requires a blank which uses more paperboard than does the type of carrier discussed above.
As a greater variety of materials are packaged in containers which lend themselves to being marketed in basket-type carriers, there is a demand for carriers which can hold such containers. At times, however, not all of the containers sold as a group are of the same cross-sectional shape. For example, although it may be desirable to sell necked plastic containers of motor oil in basket-type carriers, the best marketing strategy may be to include an oil filter in the same carrier. Because the shape of the filter is considerably different from the shape of the oil containers, currently available carriers would not allow such marketing strategies to be implemented. Complicating the problem is the fact that the necked plastic oil containers may not be of uniform cross section but may be elongated in transverse cross section, requiring that the carrier be able to hold not only different size containers but also containers of different cross-sectional shape.
It would be desirable to be able to package containers of different shapes in a basket-type carrier incorporating cells shaped to snugly receive the containers, wherein the carrier is formed from a blank using as little an amount of paperboard as possible. It would further be desirable to use such a basket-type carrier to package containers that do not have uniform cross-sectional dimensions.